Oceania

New Mobility

Connectivity, automation, sharing and electric propulsion are enabling seismic change across all aspects of mobility – from the way we commute to how we plan and develop infrastructure for the cities of today and the future.

What are the infrastructure and policy changes that governments should consider in response to these new technologies?

WSP works closely with key players across the world to better understand the potential impact of new mobility on local environments. We consulted with state and local transportation agencies to determine where they are today and where they want these advancing transportation technologies to enable them to deliver their services in the future.

We carried out extensive interviews with international industry experts and combined these insights with learnings drawn from dozens of our projects. WSP’s team is involved in testing and implementing a multitude of new technologies; working with several of the new business models already in operation.

“The opportunity offered by New Mobility is significant and highly valuable, particularly to city and area leaders, place-makers, transport network owners, mobility and technology providers,” says David McAlister, WSP Global Director, Transport and Infrastructure.

We offer strategic, technical and operational guidance covering a number of key areas, such as:

Current state of connected, autonomous and electric vehicle technology, new mobility services and associated activities

Public-private partnerships for pilot testing and technology development

Concept of operations for connected and autonomous vehicles within road network operations

New Mobility Will Transform Cities

The introduction of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies and technology-driven mobility services, such as private companies providing new mobility services such as ride-hailing and car-sharing services, presents great opportunities and challenges for everyone.

“We need to make sure the framework will take the new realities into account to ensure that our roads are safer and more efficient,” says Scott Benjamin, Technical Director, Intelligent Transport at WSP in Australia.

Connected vehicles sending and receiving signals from other vehicles, street lights, road sensors, and other devices will create a safer and better driving experience. When cars can drop off passengers and then make themselves available for other passengers, land currently occupied by parking lots can be repurposed. In collaboration with Farrells, WSP examined the placemaking opportunities from CAV, calculating that a carefully planned deployment of shared CAV could increase the developable area in central urban developments by up to 20%. “What can we do with that new space?” asks Rachel Skinner (Development Director for WSP in London) in a thought-provoking whitepaper entitled ‘Making Better Places’.

A global focus on cleaner cities through electric vehicles will also influence both travel and energy demand when considering the associated charging infrastructure and pricing mechanisms.